Kakamas To some the town's name originates from the Khoi word, "gagamas" (brown), referring to the red clay of the area with which women daub their faces. To most, though, Kakamas is a Koranna word meaning "poor pasture" and "vicious, charging ox". Legend has it that grazing in the vicinity was poor and, when cattle were driven through the river's drifts, some sonsistently turned on their drivers. Today, the name reflects poorly on a fertile valley in the Lower Orange River, graced with vineyards, cotton and lucern fields. The drought of 1895-97 was followed by an outbreak of rinderpest, leaving many farmers destitute. | |